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The grim gloom of World War II had not yet fully dissipated, and on a cold morning in 1945, the atmosphere in a solemn courtroom was solemn. As the presiding judge rang the gavel, a German nurse who had once been hailed as beautiful was ushered into the courtroom, and her arrival immediately attracted the attention of everyone present.
She served as a senior caretaker in a Nazi concentration camp, and her hands were undoubtedly stained with the blood of countless innocent people. But her appearance contrasts sharply with the crimes she has committed, which makes the atmosphere in the arena even more complicated. The judge looked at the female defendant with complicated eyes, and a trace of contradiction could not help but swell in his heart.
He couldn't ignore the ironclad evidence of the crime in the case file, but deep down, he couldn't help but feel a little unbearable about the fate that this young woman was about to face.
The air in the courtroom seemed to freeze as a result, and it was almost breathless under the pressure. How did such a seemingly fragile woman become such a cruel executioner? How did her hands bear that heavy sin?
Female participants in Nazi Germany: from youth regiments to concentration camps
Under Hitler's rule, Nazi Germany mobilized a large number of women to join the party's activities using extensive propaganda and policy measures. From their youth, they were absorbed into the Hitler Youth and the German Girls' Union, where they were indoctrinated and trained in Nazi ideology.
These organizations are not only tools for political propaganda, but also cradles for shaping future members of society. In these groups, women learned everything from obeying orders to organizing rallies, and they were trained to be loyal communicators and practitioners of Nazi ideas.
Over time, many women were not satisfied with their roles in youth leagues and leagues, and were eager to participate more directly in the party's core activities. The Nazi Party opened a new path for this, and many women joined the auxiliary groups of the SS.
In these groups, they wore brown SS uniforms, symbols of power and discipline, with swastikas embroidered on their armbands, which were not only a sign of their loyalty, but also a symbol of their status.
In the SS auxiliaries, women took on a variety of roles, ranging from administrative support to direct involvement in Nazi activities, such as the organization of rallies and the planning and execution of political propaganda activities. Their work ensured that Nazi orders and policies were quickly and effectively conveyed to all corners of society.
In addition, they were involved in the education and training of young people to ensure that the next generation was equally loyal to the Nazi ideals. Not only that, but with the outbreak of World War II, the Nazis demanded more about the role of women. Many women were included in militarized organizations, such as SS nursing groups and social welfare organizations.
In these positions, they are no longer mere organizers or educators, but become part of the war machine. In military hospitals and field care stations, these women care for wounded soldiers and carry out medical tasks, and they handle everything from trauma care to basic medical care.
The fall of the "angels in white": from medical workers to executioners in concentration camps
Under the influence of Hitler's totalitarianism, some medical workers and nurses who were supposed to be dedicated to saving lives were turned into tools for carrying out cruel policies. They worked as guards or medical personnel in Nazi concentration camps, such as Auschwitz and Belsen, and were involved in the torture and killing of prisoners.
These camps were notorious for their cruelty and inhumanity and became the de facto place of implementation of the policy of ethnic cleansing. In the concentration camps, these female medical staff often used medical tools to perform brutal acts. For example, syringes are no longer used to treat and relieve pain, but have become tools for injecting deadly drugs.
Enemas were also used to subjecte prisoners to inhumane experiments and torture. These tools, which should have been used for medical purposes, became in their hands the means of execution and torture. At Auschwitz, where the "factory of death" was called, some female nurses were involved in the process of "selecting" prisoners, deciding which prisoners would be sent to labor and which would be sent directly to the gas chambers.
In the process, they indifferently handle the lists in their hands and the lives of prisoners, as if they were dealing with daily administrative work. The prisoners were stripped naked, lined up in a line, and passed through a divided passage to the unknown fate of life or death.
At Belsen, some female medical staff supervised the medical conditions of prisoners, ensuring that they were "healthy" enough to continue working or use them for medical experiments. These experiments are often conducted without any scientific basis or ethical considerations, simply to test drugs or to see how the human body reacts under extreme conditions.
The professionalism they display in carrying out these tasks is outrageous, as this professionalism is used to carry out evil orders.
What is even more shocking is that in some medical experiments, these female medical staff have personally performed horrific medical procedures including cutting open human bodies and performing surgery without anesthesia. Their workplaces are filled with screams and cries of pain, which seem to become part of their work, being ignored day in and day out.
Irma Glazer: The coexistence of beauty and evil
Irma Glazer was one of the most notorious female guards in the Nazi concentration camp system. She began her career at Auschwitz and was transferred to several other concentration camps, such as Ravensbrück and Belsen, where she acted with extreme cruelty.
She held senior guard and other management positions in these camps, where she was involved in the day-to-day management and punishment of prisoners. Irma Glazer was tall and striking in appearance, which made her stand out in the concentration camps. She often wore a standard SS uniform with an armband with Nazi symbols on her wrist.
She walked through the concentration camps with a firm step, an indifferent attitude, and a harsh and unforgiving treatment of the prisoners. Glazer's treatment of prisoners was varied, including corporal punishment and psychological torture, often indiscriminately treating male and female prisoners.
The tools she uses to carry out her punishment include whips, batons, and dog chains. These tools are not only used to inflict physical punishment, but are also used to intimidate and control prisoners. In some extreme cases, Glazer was also personally involved in the brutal abuse of prisoners, such as enemas with hot water and other forms of physical torture.
Her torture of prisoners is not limited to physical harm. Glazer had a particular fetish, she collected tattoos on prisoners as raw materials for crafts. This act not only demonstrated her contempt for the lives and dignity of her prisoners, but also reflected her extreme loyalty to Nazi ideology.
She made these tattoos into various items, such as leather bookmarks and lampshades, which were later exchanged as trophies among Nazi officials. Under Glazer's management, the prisoners experienced endless fear and suffering. The area she supervised was often filled with screams and cries, which became part of the camp's daily routine.
Glazer was able to maintain her composure and control, even in the harshest environments, and her presence stressed and terrified prisoners and other guards.
At the end of World War II, the situation in the Nazi concentration camps became even more chaotic as the Allies approached. During this time, Glazer tried to hide her actions in the concentration camp, but her crimes were eventually revealed. After the war, she was arrested by the Allies and eventually brought to trial to face legal punishment for her wartime atrocities.
The defense in court and the final trial
In 1945, with the end of World War II, the collapse of Nazi Germany was accompanied by the arrest of its war criminals one by one. Irma Glazer was one of the prominent war criminals who was arrested by the Allies for her misdeeds in the Nazi concentration camps.
She was taken to a makeshift military tribunal where judges from different countries were assembled to try Nazi officials and guards suspected of war crimes. The process of the trial took place in a serious atmosphere. In the courtroom, Glazer is dressed in prison uniform and faces a row of stern judges.
As the trial progressed, the prosecution presented Glazer's various crimes in the camp, including the torture of prisoners, illegal executions, and her absurd collection of prisoner tattoos. A large amount of evidence was presented in court, including survivor testimony, documentary records, and tattoo crafts that she personally made.
Faced with overwhelming evidence, Glazer resorts to a seemingly desperate tactic, claiming that she is only carrying out orders from her superiors and emphasizing her youth and ignorance during the war. She described how she had been brainwashed by the Nazi Party, claiming that she did not fully understand what was happening and only carried out orders mechanically.
In the course of a particularly intense trial, she even made a shocking request to the presiding judge to become the judge's maid in exchange for a chance to be exempted from the death penalty. The move caused an uproar in court, with many expressing indignation and disdain for her proposal.
The judges took a firm stand in the face of Glazer's plea, reiterating that the impartiality of the trial and the scrutiny of historical crimes should not be influenced by personal favors. Glazer's actions were seen as a challenge to the dignity of the court, and interpreted as an escape from the consequences of her crimes.
Glazer's Execution: The End of Justice
As the trial progressed, the judges reviewed the facts and evidence of the case one by one. Despite the growing atmosphere in the courtroom, Glazer's actions were clearly displayed, revealing the cruelty and inhumanity of his actions. This made all the judges in the courtroom, including the experienced old judges, shocked and indignant at her actions.
On the last day of the trial, the old judge, as the presiding judge, faced Glazer, his eyes were complex and deep. Although he, as an experienced judge, is expected to maintain professional objectivity and calmness, he cannot help but feel a glimmer of pity for such a young defendant and the heinous crimes he has committed.
However, he knows where his duty lies, and he must make a judgment based on the law and evidence. Before the final verdict was read, the old judge said to Glazer: "I can't help you, your sins are too great. Is there a God in your heart? This sentence still echoed in the ears of those present after the trial.
It is not only a direct question of the accused, but also a deep reflection on morality and humanity for all of you. After lengthy deliberations, the court finally pronounced the death sentence against Glazer, which detailed her crimes and legal basis. This verdict is not only a personal punishment for her, but also a kind of judgment and reckoning with that dark history.
On December 13, 1945, Irma Glazer was executed in Hamern prison. During the execution, the prison is closely guarded inside and outside to prevent any possible interference. When the sentence is executed, a number of prison staff and legal personnel are present to supervise and ensure that everything is carried out in accordance with the law.
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Resources:
From Feng Cuncheng. The Sword of Justice: A Historical Record of the Global Hunt and Trial of Nazi War Criminals[M]. 2002